Patent Application
20060279060
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking device for a fork of a cart for use by the elderly and handicapped persons, more particularly one, which has a simply-structured locking mechanism for preventing handlebars and fork assembly from moving when the cart isn't in use.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The most common carts for use by handicapped and elderly persons are three-wheeled because three-wheeled carts have simpler structure and lower manufacturing cost than four-wheeled ones, and they are as easy to control as four-wheeled ones for the elderly. A common three-wheeled cart includes a frame, a seat, a head tube secured to the frame, a foldable fork passed through and angularly displaceable relative to the head tube, a front wheel connected to opposing lower tail ends of the fork, a pair of handlebars joined to an upper end of the fork, two rear wheels, a motor connected to the rear wheels, and storage batteries electrically connected to the motor.
The cart will occupy less space, and can be put into the trunk of a car, and transported after the seat is separated from the frame, and the fork folded. Furthermore, a locking mechanism is used to prevent the fork from moving relative to the head tube when the cart is transported. Conventional locking mechanisms of carts have relatively complicated structure, and manufacturing cost of the carts increases accordingly.
It is a main object of the invention to provide an improvement on a locking device for a fork of a cart for use by handicapped persons and the elderly to overcome the above-mentioned problem. The locking device includes first and second plates, and a pin. The frame of the cart has a head tube secured at a front end. A fork, which has two handlebars at an upper end, is passed through the head tube at an upper straight rod portion so as to be angularly displaceable. A front wheel is supported with two opposing lower tail ends of the fork. The first plate has a hole, and is secured on a front of the head tube. The second plate has a hole, and is secured on a front of the fork, near to the first plate. The holes of the first and the second plates will face each other exactly when the front wheel is in the forward direction. The pin will be stay in the holes of the plates to prevent the fork from moving relative to the head tube after being passed through the holes of the plates.
The present invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a preferred embodiment of a cart for use by the elderly and handicapped persons includes a frame 1, an actuating mechanism 11, a seat 12, a fork 2, a front wheel 21, two rear wheels 13, a pair of handlebars 23, a pin 3, a control panel, and first and second plates 41 and 42.
The frame 1 has a head tube 15 secured at a front end thereof. Both the actuating mechanism 11 and the seat 12 are supported on the frame 1. The rear wheels 13 are supported on two sides of a rear portion of the frame 1, and connected to the actuating mechanism 11 such that they will turn when the actuating mechanism 11 is activated.
The fork 2 is passed through the head tube 15 at an upper straight rod portion thereof such that it can be angularly displaced relative to the head tube 15. Furthermore, the upper straight rod portion of the fork 2 can be folded. The front wheel 21 is positioned between and supported with two lower tail ends of the fork 2 which are a distance apart.
The first plate 41 is formed with a through hole 411, and securely joined to a front side of the head tube 15. The second plate 42 is formed with a through hole 421, and securely joined to a front side of the fork 2 under the first plate 41. Therefore, the through hole 421 will face the through hole 411 exactly when the front wheel 21 is in the forward direction.
The pin 3 has an insertion portion 31, a handle portion 32 having a greater width than the insertion portion 31, and a step-shaped portion 33 between the insertion portion 31 and the handle portion 32. The control panel is securely joined to an upper end of the fork 2, and it has a hole 22 thereon. The handlebars 23 are securely joined to two sides of the control panel. In the present embodiment, the actuating mechanism 11 is powered with electricity. Alternatively, a fuel-powered actuating mechanism can be used. The actuating mechanism 11 is activated by means of inserting the pin 3 into the hole 22 on the control panel. In another embodiment of the present invention, the pin 3 is in the shape of a key, and the actuating mechanism 11 is activated by means of inserting the pin 3 into the hole 22 and then turning the pin 3.
Therefore, when the cart is not in use, a person is allowed to lock the fork 2 and the handlebars 23 by means of passing the pin 3 through the through holes 411 and 421 of the first and the second plates 41 and 42, as shown in
From the above description, it can be easily seen that the present invention has the following advantages:
1. The locking mechanism for the fork has a relatively simple structure, only consisting of the first and the second plates and the pin. And, the locking mechanism is easy to use.
2. The cart of the present invention has lower manufacturing cost than others, and is competitive and suitable for mass production because the locking mechanism has a much simpler structure than those of conventional carts.
